All Our Bruised Bodies
by Homely
Summary: College was supposed to be the year that changed things for the better, for both of them. Had they not found each other, that may have been the case. Sometimes, when two worlds come together, a volcano can erupt. SasuHina, AU; Warning: drug use and crime.
1. The Reaper

**All Our Bruised Bodies**

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_**chapter one; **the reaper_

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Sasuke wasn't a good man.

Hinata knew that, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter because she felt hollow and he gave her a second glance. He acknowledged her, listened to her, and sympathized with her. He was a catalyst; a tool that brought her from one reality to another.

He stole from people, while she studied for her midterms. He lied to people; used them, and threw them away when he was done. She was selfless and gentle hearted.

She didn't really know him when she first allowed him access to her body. They allowed each other sanctuary for a short period. It was uncalled for, and it happened without much thought, but Hinata was desperate for an escape and Sasuke had plenty of those.

College was supposed to be the year that changed things for the better, for both of them. But Neji had passed away and Hinata's family was falling apart. Her mother was sick and her younger sister wouldn't stop misbehaving. Her father had left them and moved across the country.

Hinata had never seen or heard of Sasuke Uchiha before, so when he attended her cousin's funeral, she was surprised to see a face that she didn't recognize. Sasuke wasn't there for long before Naruto, a close family friend, made a scene about his presence. He had a short temper, and was quick to yell at Sasuke to leave. He had screamed that Neji's death was _all his fault. _Sasuke was quick to leave after that. Hinata didn't see him again until halfway through the first month of school, about one month after Neji's passing. At that point, her father was still at home, and her life was still together; it was bound by frigid wire, but it still thrived.

She was walking between buildings, hoping to get to the cafeteria from her Photo Journalism course before the hallways got too busy. She had always been too shy to ask people to move out of her way. Between building A and building B, there were several tables, benches and a green sign that signified the only permitted smoking area on campus. Though Hinata passed by there everyday, she never paid it much mind. She wasn't a smoker. Not far behind the smokers area, more tables were set up for students to study outside and eat their lunches when it was nice out. There would be a hefty fine for anyone caught smoking in that area. Hinata often ate there when the sun was out.

She glanced over as she walked past and caught sight of the grungy looking boy with long black hair and a tattoo sleeve on his left arm. He wore a bored expression and a hoop on the right side of his bottom lip. Hinata recognized him immediately as the guy Naruto had accused of Neji's death at his funeral. She had wondered how Naruto could make such an accusation on a person, but never asked him about it. She had dated him in high school and had never really gotten over how it ended.

Hinata noticed that Sasuke had more of a glow than the last time she'd seen him. He had put on weight and his skin didn't look so pale. Hinata felt that it was weird how she would notice that about a man she had only seen once, but she was always very observant of other people. She never spoke much. She simply observed.

Sasuke had looked at her too, that day. They locked eyes. He recognized her; in fact, he knew exactly who she was. Everyone in Neji's family wore the same eyes. She wore denim skirts and expensive lilac blouses. And like Neji, who had lived under her roof, she had money.

* * *

Hinata purchased a bagel from the student's restaurant in the cafeteria. She always shopped there because she liked to support her fellow students. Neji's ex-girlfriend, and Hinata's personal friend, Tenten, was in college because she wanted to become a chef. After Neji's passing, Tenten stopped attending classes for several days. Recently, she had gotten back into it. Part of her cooking and hospitality course was to work at the student restaurant. Hinata liked to visit her. She was a pleasant reminder of Neji.

Hinata met up with her friend, Sakura, on the non-smoking side of the tables between building A and B. Sakura was a spunky, pink haired girl who aspired to be a medic. They had been friends throughout their adolescence, despite their differing high schools. After elementary school, Hinata's father insisted that she go to private school. Neji had gotten in with the wrong crowd during his first year of highschool, and he didn't want to see the same happen to her.

Hinata often felt like an outcast because of this. Naruto, Sakura and Neji, along with everyone else they were friends with, went to the same highschool. Yet Hinata was in prep school, and it didn't help that no one there liked her.

Hinata mused on this as she sat down across from Sakura at one of the tables. She looked around at all the different clothing and styles she saw. At her private school, it was required for everyone to wear a uniform. She felt as though everyone were a clone. She figured that because of that, she became so observant of the way people acted, dressed and styled their hair. From the moment she graduated private school, she had anticipated college. She was fascinated thinking of all the unique people she would meet.

She never could have anticipated the death of her cousin, who was more like a brother to her than anything else.

"Hinata, are you listening?" Sakura's voice chimed into her thoughts. Hinata snapped from her reverie.

"A-ah, yes." She stammered. "Sorry, I zoned out."

"You're such a space cadet sometimes." Sakura giggled, before subtly pointing in the direction of the smoker's tables. "Look. That's him."

"Hm?" She glanced over. "Who?"

"The tall guy, with the black hair and tattoos." She spoke in a hushed tone, worried that despite their distance, he may hear them. It took Hinata a moment to realize she was talking about Sasuke. "Don't you remember? The guy I was always talking about in high school. The super hot one."

"Oh." Hinata said dully. "Oh!" She exclaimed as she remembered. She felt silly for forgetting. Sakura always had a massive crush on this guy named Sasuke. She'd heard Naruto call him by his name at the funeral, but didn't make the connection.

"I can't believe he goes here." Sakura mused, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "He sort of disappeared after grade eleven. I saw him at the funeral, but he was gone before I could say hi." Her face softened then, and she shifted uncomfortably. "Um, sorry."

Hinata was seemingly unfazed when Sakura spoke of the funeral. It didn't bother her, as she thought about it often. "It's okay." She said warmly.

"I have to go talk to him." Sakura said with ambition in her eyes. "Let's go."

"W-What?" Hinata stammered with half chewed bagel in her mouth. Sakura grabbed her by the arm and attempted to pull her up, but Hinata resisted. "I'm still eating, Sakura. Can't you go talk to him yourself?"

"I'm nervous." Sakura admitted, blushing slightly. "Come with me."

Hinata sighed. She really didn't have much of a backbone; she accepted that about herself. She swallowed her food, shoved the rest of her half eaten bagel in her backpack and followed her pink haired friend. They entered the smoking area, receiving a few looks as they did so. Sakura said she was nervous, but she certainly didn't seem so. She walked right up to Sasuke with a massive grin on her face. He was lazily sitting on top of the table. There were a few other unfamiliar faces sitting with him.

"Sasuke!" She exclaimed. His dark eyes fell on her. Hinata thought they looked hollow.

"Hey." Sasuke said, almost like a question. He looked at Hinata, but she immediately looked away. Something about him was very daunting.

"How have you been?" Sakura sang. "It's been so long. What courses are you taking?"

Sasuke was quiet for a few moments. The people who sat around him snickered. "Math." He spoke simply. _Rude, _Hinata thought.

"I'm taking Pre-Health." Sakura said cheerily. "Remember how I always said I wanted to be a medic?"

Sasuke seemed to be looking through her. "Yeah." He said blankly. _And he's a liar, _Hinata noted. Sakura continued to babble, and Hinata sort of zoned out. It felt awkward. The people he sat with were giving them both judgemental looks. Sasuke's eyes kept darting from Sakura, and back to Hinata.

The conversation didn't last very long. Sasuke eventually flicked his cigarette on the ground and walked away with a simple _"Later."_

Sakura couldn't see what Hinata had seen. She was completely excited about talking to Sasuke, despite the fact that he hadn't been interested in what she was saying. Hinata didn't say anything about it, just silently hoped that Sakura wouldn't pursue him. The man seemed rather vile. She was curious about how he knew Neji. None of her cousin's other friends, not even Tenten, had brought him up before.

That evening, Hinata decided to visit Neji's grave. It was raining hard, but she didn't mind it. She wanted to give him flowers and tell him about the way her schooling was going. She wore a long, expensive green raincoat that her father recently bought for her and carried a black umbrella. She noted that the leaves were starting to change colour as she walked. She liked autumn, even if this one would always bring her painful memories.

Hinata entered the graveyard at a slow pace. She looked at the names of some of the graves she passed by, until she reached the Hyuga section. Hinata had a large family, and they were all buried in Konoha's graveyard. One day, this would also become her resting place.

She wasn't expecting to see anyone there when she came to Neji's grave. A tall man wearing a black hood stood before it. He gave her chills, as though he were a reaper of some sort. Hinata shook her head of the silly thoughts and approached anyway. There were no such things as reapers or ghosts in graveyards, only the living, and only the dead.

The man looked up as Hinata approached. Wet, black bangs stuck to his forehead. It was Sasuke Uchiha. If she hadn't been visiting Neji, she would have turned around. She didn't know Sasuke and frankly, he was strange. She said nothing to him, exchanging nary a glance, as she placed a set of flowers atop the gravestone and removed the ones that were already dead.

She stood beside him, wishing that he wasn't there. She cursed at herself for thinking so rudely. For all she knew, Neji and him could have been very close. She was certain there were many things about her cousin that she never knew.

After several moments of silence, Sasuke was the one to speak. She wished he hadn't. "I'm sorry for your loss." He said. Hinata looked at him, seeing that his eyes held sincerity. She nodded.

"Thank you." She looked at Sasuke again, observing the way his somber eyes fell upon the gravestone. Perhaps, she had misjudged him. Hinata moved her umbrella off her shoulder so it was also above his head. He looked at her quizzically. "Um. You look rather cold." She said.

He was quiet for a few minutes. "Thanks." He mumbled, before turning to leave. "Later." Hinata watched after his retreating figure, until he had blended in with the field of graves. The rain began to slow down.

* * *

**A/N: **Sometimes, I randomly find inspiration. As of right now, this is experimental, but I will be posting a second chapter. Please review and let me know if you think I should continue. This story is going to entail drug use, sexual themes and potential organized crime.

SO YEAH LEMME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! :^)


	2. Kaleidoscope

**A/N: So as I said at the end of the last chapter in my A/N, this story is about drug use. Just want to let you guys know before you read, because I know it's a touchy subject for some people and may make you uncomfortable. Just a heads up!**

**Then again, "Breaking Bad" was ridiculously popular so I doubt many of you will have issues. :P **

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**All Our Bruised Bodies**

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_**chapter two; **__kaleidoscope_

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Sasuke wasn't used to the business of college.

It was a lot like high school, only larger, with many more diverse groups of people. He no longer saw scrabbles between girls or fist fights between guys. Foremost, unlike high school, Sasuke had chosen to be there.

The quick decision he had made to enroll was brought on by Neji's passing. Sasuke was there when it happened; he had watched him die.

All the things he had done in his life piled together, and he had an epiphany. It was unfortunate that he needed to watch his friend die in order for him to turn his life around.

He sold most of his belongings, and using the money he had saved up, enrolled in general mathematics. He wasn't thinking about a long career; he just knew that he was good at math. Perhaps, something would take off from there. Perhaps, just being in school would turn his life away from the fate that had fallen upon Neji.

He was doing well, so far. He was eating properly and attending class. He worked part-time at a grocery store to afford rent and he hadn't touched any illegal substances since the night Neji died. Throughout the first month of college, he kept himself as optimistic as he could have. Things grew harder once the initial bliss of "turning his life around" began to pass.

Sasuke was never good at sticking with one thing for a long period.

It was hard for him to stay strong during the night when his nightmares rushed in and his motivation dropped to zero. He would pace around his lonely apartment, clutching his head in agony, resisting the urge to call one of his old friends. He would think about college and the idea would collapse around him. He couldn't do it. He could never finish school and become a 'functioning member of society'; get an office job, get married, raise a family. These things required expectations, and Sasuke hated those.

He resisted his urges. He did all he could to keep himself sane and try to reason with his mind. The voice in his head he had dealt with for years, the one that told him he would never be anything but an _addict,_ argued with a new voice, one that told him he was _capable._

By month two, Sasuke had grown more accustomed to the life he had built. It was difficult to live; more difficult than being an addict, that is. But like fog, slowly disappearing from a plate of glass, his mind began to feel more clear. He noticed he felt more cognitive. So when Ino Yamanaka, a girl he had met during his lunch break, invited him to her party, he didn't think it would hurt. She was a preppy girl and he imagined the party would consist of fruity drinks and girls in short dresses.

Sasuke forgot that girls who liked fruity drinks and short dresses also enjoyed a bit more than that, occasionally.

Ino was ruthlessly hitting on him. She was attractive, but ditzy, and he wasn't interested in a sloppy drunk girl. The party was crowded, and he regretted coming. None of the people he knew from the smoke pit were there. The music was bad, the girls acted distasteful, and the guys acted like jocks. It didn't take him long to realize that he had agreed to come to a sorority/frat house party.

He was about to consider leaving, about half an hour after arriving, when he noticed one familiar face. Neji's cousin, Hinata, stood awkwardly beside a group of girls who were taking shots of vodka. When they locked eyes, Hinata looked away. She hadn't said anything to him since the night they had seen each other at Neji's grave. Sasuke could tell that the girl intended to ignore him, and he didn't like that, so he approached her.

"Hey." He said, startling her.

"H-Hey." She said skittishly, averting eye contact.

"I didn't catch your name last time we saw each other." He said, though he already knew who she was. She knew that, too.

"Hinata." She said, politely offering her hand. He looked at it for a moment, somewhat baffled that she would act so formal on such an informal occasion. Regardless, he shook her hand. It felt cold and dainty.

"Sasuke." He said. She smiled slightly and sipped from her cup, looking away from him again. He took this moment to observe her appearance. She wore jeans and a dark purple blouse. A thought crossed his mind as he glanced around the room. All of the girls were wearing tight, revealing outfits, leaving little room for the imagination. When he looked back at Hinata, he wondered what she might be hiding underneath that long-sleeved blouse and those black jeans.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed. He asked what she was drinking, and discovered it was vodka and strawberry juice. He was drinking beer.

Sasuke spoke to Hinata, asking her simple questions that would have simple answers. She seemed comfortable with that. She didn't strike him as the type of dramatic girl who spoke too much. She was quiet and reserved, and he wondered what she was even doing at a party like that. He then asked himself the same question.

Hinata checked her phone. Sasuke noticed that she'd waited until he was done speaking to do so. A look of concern crossed her face.

"I'm afraid I have to go." She said. "Um, it was nice talking to you, Sasuke."

"Yeah..." He muttered. "Later." He watched as she sheepishly weaved her way through people until she made it the front door, leaving without another glance. After that, the party seemed duller.

Sasuke stumbled into Ino, who had been searching for him. She drunkenly told him she had something she wanted to share with him, and dragged him towards the basement. The house was large, and while Ino pulled him along, she explained that four other girls lived there with her. Sasuke wasn't quite sure why he followed her. In the basement, there were more people partying. A beer pong table was set up next to the bar. She led him to a closed door and knocked three times. A girl opened it, revealing a large, light yellow bathroom. Three other girls and one guy were inside.

Sasuke didn't care about them. The first thing he noticed were the cards on the counter, next to neat lines of white power. It was cocaine. Of course. The party drug.

He realized then that he had been a fool for assuming that college kids didn't do drugs if they weren't addicts. In fact, he'd forgotten that not everyone who did drugs _became_ addicts.

Ino shut the door behind them and turned to Sasuke with a mischievous smirk. "Want some?" She grinned. The grip on his bottle of beer tightened. He was slightly inebriated, trapped in a room brimming with free drugs. His eyes fell on the bag on the counter. There was a large, white rock that glistened against the light of the room. He could tell its quality by looking at it. Naturally, rich kids were willing to pay extra for good stuff.

It was never his favourite drug, but then again, he was always willing to do anything. No one could offer him a drug that he wasn't willing to try. He had done coke a million times simply because it was there. He felt uncomfortable, but he didn't move. He watched as one of the girls snorted a line of the substance through a small straw. Each person in the room took theirs, and he watched intently every time. Each time someone would snort it, they would tilt their head back and snort again.

One of the voices in his head was losing.

Ino took hers last, before she turned to Sasuke and offered him the straw. He set down the beer and accepted it, his hands shaking intently, fully knowing what he was about to do. After that, the night seemed to blur. But unlike the rest of the people there, Sasuke couldn't do drugs recreationally. He couldn't do a few lines of cocaine at a party every once in a while, maybe feel like crap for a day or two, but then be fine.

By the time they left the bathroom, his head was spinning, yet his mind felt so clear. It was like he had been awoken from a daze. He left the party immediately, forgetting whatever beer he had left over behind. The first thing he did was pull out his phone and make a call. He rushed down the street towards his apartment, shaking and anticipating more and more at every ring of the phone. A female voice answered.

"Karin." He said.

"Sasuke?" She replied hopefully.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at Jugo's... Where are you?"

"Don't worry about it. You two should come over. Bring Suigetsu if he's there. Bring something."

Karin giggled. "I knew you'd be back. We missed you."

"I'll be home in half an hour. Be there." He hung up the phone and slid it in his pocket, replacing it with a cigarette. His heart thumped through his chest violently. He was walking faster than he'd realized, and was able to cut ten minutes off the half hour walk.

Karin, Jugo and Suigetsu were Sasuke's closest friends from highschool. They did everything together- substance wise, that is. The three lived close by and were already waiting outside when Sasuke arrived. He said nothing to them as he rushed past them and fumbled for his key. The elevator ride to the sixth floor felt like eons.

And that was it. Sasuke's friday night of attending a simple college party brought him right back to the beginning. Only this time, Neji wasn't around for it. As he snorted the ecstasy Karin had brought, he didn't forget that, but it also didn't stop him; no where close.

* * *

Hinata was sitting at one of the tables outside, reading through of her course books when she noticed Sasuke walk towards the smoke pit. His hood was up and his hands were in his pockets. Even though it was warm outside, he wore all black. Hinata wondered why he always seemed so dark. She wouldn't have guessed that Sasuke had done a multitude of drugs and skipped work over the weekend to get high.

Rather than sitting with the normal group of people he would, Sasuke took an empty table. Hinata noticed this. She wasn't sure what compelled her to approach him, but before she knew it, her legs had begun carrying her in his direction. She had thought about him over the weekend, because though she seemed reluctant, she had appreciated him speaking to her at that party. No one was talking to her. No one seemed to even notice that she was standing alone, yet he did.

Sasuke was thinking of how ashamed he felt when he looked up to see her bright face. That was first moment he noticed she was beautiful.

She smiled at him shyly and sat down. He watched her in awe and confusion.

"Is something troubling you?" Hinata asked, though she quickly regretted it. "A-Ah. I'm sorry. It's really none of my business."

Sasuke looked at her inquisitively. "I had to miss work this weekend because I was... Sick. I probably lost my job."

"I'm sorry." Was all Hinata could think of to say. She was always so polite; Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about it. They were silent for a few minutes, until Sasuke's stomach rumbled. He wasn't going to say anything about it, but Hinata noticed. She reached into her bag and pulled out a sandwich. It was made of expensive bread, vegetables and meat. Sasuke could tell just by looking at it. She put it in front of him.

"What is this?"

"A sandwich..." She murmured shyly.

"I know what it is." He stated. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"You seem hungry." She said, avoiding his eyes. "Please, take it."

Sasuke didn't really want her sandwich, but he _was _hungry and something about how polite she was reminded him of a far off memory. If he were to deny her gift, she would be offended. His mother was the same way.

Neither Sasuke nor Hinata thought much of it over the next two weeks when they would meet up for a short period daily. Sasuke missed at least two days of school a week, but for the most part, he showed up. Hinata was part of the reason. She was kind to him; he didn't always let her, but she would offer to buy him breakfast or lunch. During his nights and his days away from school, he would do drugs with Karin, Jugo and Suigetsu. When he met up with Hinata for those simple fifteen or so minutes a day, she somehow helped him forget how he had failed.

She became more comfortable with him. She would ask him questions about himself. Hinata found him interesting, and she wanted to know more about him. It had been a while since someone had shown genuine interest in him, rather than just babbling about their own issues. After two weeks of knowing each other, Sasuke noticed a difference in her behaviour.

The warm smile she'd greet him with when she ran into him became more somber. She spoke less and her eyes seemed distant. They met up in the morning one day. They never really planned to meet, they would simply see each other and walk around for a short while. He saw her sitting alone when he decided to ask her what was wrong.

Hinata shifted in her seat when he asked. "It's my mother." She spoke reluctantly. "She's very sick. My father says he is leaving. I don't know when."

He reached across the table and touched her firmly clasped hands. She jolted at the contact. Sasuke was peculiar, and she didn't really know him, despite her interactions with him over the past while. Somehow, she felt comforted by him.

"You should come over to my place sometime." He stated, pulling his hand away. Hinata nodded. She knew what that meant. It was an unspoken truth to both of them; they communicated with their eyes.

For the first time, she saw a fleeting smile tug at the corner of his mouth. Sasuke always looked so apathetic, as though he were constantly bored. Hinata wanted to find out why.

* * *

Sasuke invited Hinata over that night, and was surprised when she actually showed up. He'd imagined her acts of kindness towards him were just that; perhaps, she pitied him. Girls like Hinata never showed interest in him. He was popular among women, but normally, they were the outspoken, rebellious type. Hinata fit the 'good girl' sterotype. She was virtuous and reserved; yet there she was, knocking at the door of his apartment. She greeted him with a nervous grin. The first thing he noticed about her was the makeup she wore; Hinata never wore much at school, but now, as she entered his apartment, he could see that she'd dressed up. She wore black eyeliner with dark purple eyeshadow. The pink gloss on her lips made them look even more appealing. She smelled of fruit, whereas he smelled of cigarettes.

When she entered, she was startled to see that it was practically empty. There was a single mattress on the ground in the living room and across from it, an old TV. He had a video game system set up. There was a fully stocked bookshelf against the back of the room, and one tall lamp.

"I sold most of my things so I could afford tuition," Sasuke explained. "So, sorry that it's kind of empty."

"That's okay." Hinata said. It was odd, but she didn't want to be judgemental. She had never been in such an empty place her entire life, save the one time she helped Sakura move. The place looked rather sad. Sasuke really didn't have much, and she thought it was noble of him to sell his belongings in order to attend school. They sat down on the mattress, and Sasuke asked if she wanted to watch a movie. She nodded, though she wasn't thinking about movies. Before he stood up to grab his movie collection, he noticed something in her eyes.

Unlike Hinata, Sasuke wasn't shy in the least. By the way she clasped her hands together and subtly bit her lip, he could see that she was eager. She needed an escape, and she didn't wish to wait for it.

He met her eyes and noted how she didn't look away as she often did. They spoke of innocence, but also an inner desire to cure her sadness. He could see that her life was falling apart. Growing up privileged, she must have been confused about all that was happening. She would be easy to corrupt; she was vulnerable.

Sasuke shuffled close to her so their bodies were touching. Slowly, he brought his hands to the side of her head, and ran them through her hair. She trembled, but she didn't stop him, so he brought his lips to hers and brushed them against each other. She took a sharp intake of breath as he pressed his mouth to hers. His lips felt somewhat dry, until their tongues became involved. Their kiss grew more intense, and they leaned on each other more. Hinata touched his shoulders and felt their shape. Sasuke pulled away from her for a moment to lock her eyes. Slowly, he ran his hand up her thigh, staring into her orbs. He liked the way her cheeks tinged with pink. She bit her lip and nodded.

From the moment he had her approval, she was roughly pinned down on the bed. It startled her at first because the boys she had slept with in the past had only been gentle. She had also never done _this _before; she wasn't a virgin, but she had never slept with a boy she wasn't in a relationship with. She had been nervous at first, and somewhat embarrassed, but upon seeing that he was also eager to sleep with her, she felt alleviated.

Sasuke opened her legs and positioned himself between them. Hinata wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her and ground his hips into her. He didn't waste any more time. He had fantasized about this girl from the moment he'd seen her at that party. She always acted so polite and innocent; he wanted to rip those traits right out of her.

He tore off her clothes, caring not that he had shredded the buttons off her lilac blouse. He unbuttoned her skirt, pulled it off her and tossed it to the side, occasionally locking eyes with her. She fumbled for his shirt and helped him pull it over his head. He took a moment to see her body before he removed the rest of her clothing. She was wearing black lace; she had planned to do this with him. He saw then that the innocence had long smoked out of her eyes.

Her body was healthy. Her shoulders weren't pointy and her hip bones didn't protrude. Her stomach was toned and her breasts were large. He could hardly believe that she was laying in front of him so willingly, anxious for him to take her. He had only ever slept with women, who like himself, were addicts. Their skin clung tightly to their bones and their hair felt dry. Hinata's skin was soft and her hair was long and healthy. For a fleeting moment, he felt lucky.

* * *

They both heaved. Sweat glistened off their bodies, and their heartbeats thumped erratically. Hinata laid against his chest, and his arm wrapped around her torso. They laid in several moments of silence, breathing out the heat they'd just absorbed.

"Why did you do this?" Sasuke inquired, reaching over her to grab his pack of cigarettes off the floor.

"I don't think that's a question you're supposed to ask after sex." Hinata giggled, meeting his eyes. He smirked at her and lit his cigarette with his red _Zippo. _It was pointless of him to ask, anyway. He knew the answer.

"Do you feel better?"

"I do."

He tightened his grip on her. "Good."

Hinata felt strangely at ease around him. When she first saw him, she never would have imagined she would sleep with him. He seemed to be from an entirely different world than her, but she had begun to fantasize about him. Typically, the men Hinata found herself interested in were the outgoing, popular types; the type of men her father would approve of. But the way Sasuke carried himself was attractive to her, and with everything happening, pondering sex with him seemed to be the only thing to help get her through the night. She'd tried distracting herself with school work; that didn't work. Her mind would always wander back to her situation. When she thought of Sasuke, however, he mind would stay there.

It occurred to her that she should probably feel guilty. She was taught never to give her body to a man she didn't love or trust, but she felt no remorse; she didn't need to trust him, and she didn't expect a relationship from him. Her father was no longer around to lecture her.

She wouldn't tell Sasuke how she had never experienced sex that way before. He moved her in positions she'd never done, and asked her to try things she'd never been beckoned to do. She couldn't explain, even to herself, how she had been so comfortable with him. He had a daunting demeanour; Sasuke was the type of man who intimidated girls like Hinata, but perhaps, her sexual interest in him weighed more than that.

Sasuke heard his phone go off, and lazily pulled it out. It was Karin. Her, Jugo and Suigetsu were on their way over. "Shit." He muttered.

"What is it?" Hinata queried.

"My friends are coming over. I forgot to tell them I was having you here."

"Oh." She said meekly. "I can go, if you'd like."

"Not if you don't want to." He said. "But you might not like what you see."

Hinata looked away. "My father left today... He was gone when I got home from school."

Sasuke turned on his side and used his hand to support his head. He observed her eyes, seeing that the sadness in them had returned. "What if I told you there was a way to feel better?" He inquired, and her head snapped to him.

"What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly.

Sasuke rolled over and dug something out from underneath his mattress. It was a bag of a brownish, crystalline substance. "Is that brown sugar?" Hinata asked, and he laughed.

"No." He handed it to her and she observed it. "MDMA."

Hinata stared at the bag, mesmerized by its contents. "Ecstasy..." She muttered, but he shook his head.

"This is the pure chemical used in ecstasy, but ecstasy comes in a pill form and is often cut."

Hinata didn't know what to say. She had never held drugs before. She didn't _do_ drugs; she hardly even drank alcohol. "I can't do this." She said, handing it back to him.

"Have you ever tried it?" She shook her head. Sasuke appeared to be in thought for a moment, before he rolled over and got off the bed. "Probably for the best." He said. Sasuke knew from the moment he saw Hinata that she'd never tried drugs. He realized that by offering them to her, she may regret her decision to sleep with him and leave.

Hinata watched him as he put his pants on. So, that was his deal. She knew all about drugs and their effect on the body. Neji was a genius, and drugs had killed him.

There was a knock at the door.

"One second, I'm getting dressed." Sasuke shouted. He went into the bedroom and emerged with a large grey shirt and tossed it to Hinata. She put it on, along with her skirt. Once they were both dressed, Sasuke turned to her. "Look, if you wanna leave, I get it."

Hinata shook her head. "I don't."

"Suit yourself." Sasuke muttered as he unlocked the door. A skinny girl with bright red hair and piercings on her face entered first, followed by a big guy with orange hair and a smaller one with silverish hair. Hinata had never seen them before, and they didn't look very friendly. The redhead girl sent her daggers.

"Who is she?" She questioned, placing her hand on her hip.

"Hinata." Sasuke stated, sending Karin a look that read _be nice, or you'll regret it later._ Karin glowered at him, but said nothing more.

"Hey, I'm Jugo." The tall guy said, walking over to Hinata. He extended his hand, and she shook it with an awkward smile.

"Suigetsu." The guy with silver hair said. Sasuke sat down beside Hinata on the bed, and the other three found their places around the room. Karin sat on the other side of Sasuke, while Suigetsu and Jugo occupied the two corners. The living room was rather small, so they were all close together. The atmosphere in the room had changed drastically. Hinata always considered herself spiritual, in a sense. She paid attention to the auras people would give off, and how individuals could reform the way a room felt simply by being there. Jugo seemed nice enough, which made things feel slightly less tense. Suigetsu seemed weird, and Karin was intimidating.

Karin opened her backpack and handed Sasuke a box. He took it and opened it. Inside of it, Hinata could see straws cut in half, random cards and a few razor blades. She gulped. _What the hell am I doing here? _She asked herself, looking around the room at the foreign people. When her eyes fell on Sasuke, he met them, and sent her a reassuring smirk. It made her feel at ease.

Sasuke removed the contents of the box and put them on the bed in front of him. He then took out the bag of MDMA and dumped some of it in the box. Hinata watched with fascination as he used the cards to crush the crystals, and used the razor blades to cut them up finer. He then divided the pile into five lines. He picked up the straw, put it to his nose, and snorted one of the lines from the box. Hinata jolted at the sight of it. She'd seen people do drugs in movies or on television, but never up close.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, though she hadn't wanted to say those words. She wasn't thinking clearly. Her body shook with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

"It will make you feel like there is absolutely nothing wrong in the world." Sasuke said. "If you want to try it, you can. I cut you one, just in case."

Hinata could feel her heartbeat. She felt like she was looking at Sasuke and the box he held through a kaleidoscope. She thought of her mother, who had terminal cancer and didn't have much time left. Neji was already dead, her father had left with hardly a word, and her little sister had run away to a friend's house. She could turn around right then and go home to cry in her room. She could allow the world collapse on her shoulders like she always had, or she could take a risk.

Because of the reserved way she'd been brought up, the thought of doing drugs or being around them had never really crossed her mind. She knew that Neji had a problem with alcohol and marijuana, but he never mentioned that he did hard drugs. She found out about his addiction the day he died. That didn't stop Hinata's hands from accepting the box when Sasuke passed it to her. "Just put the straw to your nose and snort one of the lines." He instructed. She looked at him warily, and then down at the box.

It was a simple concept. Snort the drug, feel better. She couldn't lie to herself and think that she wasn't curious.

"You don't have to be so nervous." Karin said in a snarky, matter-of-factly way. "This drug won't turn you into an addict."

Hinata looked at Sasuke, who had turned away. He appeared to be in thought, but snapped out of it once he realized Hinata was looking to him.

"If you don't want to do it, it's fine, Hinata." He said.

"But it won't kill you." Suigetsu chimed in. "We can assure you that much."

Hinata looked at the box once more. She'd read horror stories of people doing heroin or crack once and becoming addicted for life, but she'd never heard of anyone becoming addicted to MDMA. Tenten said she had tried ecstasy once, and she was fine.

Without further delay, Hinata did as Sasuke had instructed her. The substance burned going up her nose. Once she finished, Sasuke took the box from her and handed it to Jugo. Jugo took his, handed it to Suigetsu, who handed it to Karin. None of them hesitated.

Hinata didn't feel anything but anxiety. Her heartrate had gone up and her hands grew sweaty. Her vision began to shake.

They all sat in silence for several minutes. Hinata was trembling, so Sasuke put his hand on her knee. She eagerly grabbed his hand and held it.

_What have I done? _She thought. _Can I blow it out of my nose? How do I explain to these people that I can't do this?_

As these thoughts crossed her mind, a strange rush formed in her chest.

* * *

Karin had moved off the bed, and now laid on Suigetsu's lap. Jugo was sitting quietly with his eyes closed; he hadn't moved in what must have been an hour. Suigetsu and Karin were discussing something. Hinata hadn't said a word; she was simply holding Sasuke's hand.

His skin felt amazing. Tingles ran all up her arms and through her chest. Sasuke looked at her. His face was still, but when they locked eyes, he smiled. A real, genuine smile, with teeth and all. Hinata was baffled. He looked beautiful.

"How do you feel?" He asked in a smooth voice.

"Good..." She mumbled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Like there's nothing wrong in the world."

"Mmm." He leaned his head against hers and shut his eyes. "You're so beautiful."

"Do you really think that?" She looked up at him with pupils like saucers. He grinned. She was completely messed up, and it was adorable.

"Yeah." He mumbled, pulling her closer to him. He stood up, still holding her hand, and urged for her to get up too. When she did, her legs felt like noodles.

"Where are we going?" She asked as he led her towards the bedroom. Like the living room, it didn't hold much, simply a mattress and a dresser. There was a glow-in-the-dark poster on the wall, and the moon shined in through the window. This would be their only light.

He shut the door and pushed her up against the wall. "I want you to experience something." He said, before crashing his lips against hers. Hinata had never felt anything like it; her body relaxed onto him without her permission. He ran his hands up her torso and grabbed her neck, smirking when he received a moan of pleasure from her. He got on his knees and removed her underwear, before roughly grabbing her thighs and pushing her up on the wall so he had access to her. He licked her, in a place she'd only been licked in her mind. The way her body convulsed drove him almost as mad as she was.

After a few minutes of pleasuring her, Sasuke threw her on the bed and tore off his clothes. She was still trembling. He flipped her on her stomach and entered her from behind. She had to bite down on her wrist to stop herself from screaming in enjoyment.

She wasn't sure how long they had sex for. Time mashed together, but there were no doubts or uncertainties. Nothing hurt or felt wrong.

When they finished, they emerged from the room to see the others hadn't moved much. Hinata's high was beginning to wear off. She felt weird, like reality was trying to intercept with the euphoria. Sasuke had the same thought as her; he sat down on the mattress and stared to cut up more drugs. Hinata went to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror; her pupils took up nearly her entire iris. Her eyes almost appeared black, despite the fact that her irises were white, a trait common among people in her family. Her hair was unkempt and Sasuke's grey shirt hung loosely off her body.

_That isn't me, _she thought. _I don't look like that._

She quickly forgot those thoughts when she saw Sasuke again. She sat next to him and accepted the drugs he offered her. She was no longer in any mind set to feel anxious about them. She loved the way she felt, even if she knew it wasn't real.

Hinata brushed her finger over his tattoo. It was an incredibly detailed grim reaper, all in black, white, and the occasional line of red. The artwork was impeccable, but she wondered why he would chose such a thing. Sasuke lifted his arm so he could view the tattoo himself.

"I'll explain it to you some day." He said to her, putting his arm around her shoulder. She smiled and leaned against him, feeling content.

* * *

Hinata woke up to the sound of her phone beeping. Her mind was a complete haze. Sasuke was still sleeping; they'd passed out in his room together. She checked her phone and nearly had a heart attack at the time. It was 3 pm. She had never slept until 3 pm before. To her, sleeping in was 9 o'clock. Sakura had been trying to get a hold of her, wondering why she hadn't been in class.

Hinata still felt tingly, but her mind wasn't in a state of euphoria anymore. She looked back on the night and felt a pit form in her stomach. She remembered everything, but she wished she hadn't. She had been beyond happy; it was false. She'd never acted so open with anyone before, not even Naruto, whom she dated for nearly two years. She recalled how Sasuke had held her so close, and vice versa. She recalled Karin, Jugo and Suigetsu. They weren't in the apartment anymore. Hinata thought it was weird how though they were all together, it felt like it was just her and Sasuke.

Sasuke told her a lot about himself. He told her how he had failed to quit drugs, and how he often felt down upon himself. Hinata told him she thought he was beautiful. She looked at his sleeping body and blushed. She _did _think that about him... But she was embarrassed knowing she'd admitted it. She wondered if he thought she was stupid.

She felt better when she recalled his words to her. He had called _her _beautiful as well. He told her that he liked the sound of her voice. No one had ever said that to her before. Hinata always feared that she was irritating, which was part of the reason why she was often quiet. She pondered if Sasuke meant the things he said to her, or if those words were the drugs speaking.

When he woke up, she had her answer. He rolled over and stared at her.

"W-What is it?" She stammered. "Is there something on my face?"

"No." He said. "Just... Admiring you."

Hinata blushed and looked away.

"So, you had fun last night?" He asked, sitting up.

She nodded. "I should go, though."

They were sitting side by side on Sasuke's bed. He gestured for her to hug him. He picked her up by her hips and positioned her on top of him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I want you to come back."

Her breathing was shallow. "O-Of course." He kissed her once more, before she got ready and went on her way. He told her that she could keep his shirt; he had sort of ruined her other one. She didn't seem to mind. By the time Hinata had gathered herself to leave, Sasuke had fallen back asleep.

It was around four o'clock when Hinata left. Sasuke lived in a rough part of the city, a side of town that she'd never seen much of, despite living in Konoha her entire life. Her family had always been wealthy. Realistically, she could do whatever she desired in life and come out of it with money, but she wanted to be a writer. She wanted to know what it was like to work and make her own money. She wasn't sure what things would be like now, with her father gone.

As she walked, the effects of the drug seemed to ware off completely. Reality checked itself in. Hinata remembered that she wasn't walking _home, _she was walking to an empty mansion with no one but her sick mother and her maids.

Hinata started to cry. She would normally be able to control her tears until she got to a place of privacy, but she couldn't stop them this time. They fell from her eyes as if a latch had been turned. It was bizarre.

It was a long walk, and she was able to calm herself down. She found herself entering the downtown area, which she needed to cross to get home. She dreaded running into anyone she knew downtown, especially Sakura.

Hinata entered a familiar part of town; the core, Konoha's main street. This was where all the popular places in town lived. There was a large park in the centre where she had spent most of her teenage years. She walked past the diner where her and Naruto used to go on dates every Friday. She went by her and Sakura's favourite clothing store, and Tenten's favourite sushi place.

Across the busy street, she noticed a familiar blonde head bobbing.

Hinata tried to hide her face. _Shit, _she thought. She caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the window she passed by. Her appearance was dishevelled, with messy hair, pale skin and the oversized grey shirt Sasuke gave her. She thought to herself that she looked like a bum. The last person she wanted to see, next to Sakura, would've been Naruto.

"Hinata!" His raspy voice chimed. He crossed the street between traffic intervals. She picked up her pace, hoping that he would dismiss her, thinking she hadn't heard him. But naturally, Naruto wasn't like that. He ran up to her and gently grabbed her shoulder. She turned to him, startled. "A-Ah, sorry... I didn't mean to scare you." His face twisted as he took in her appearance. "You okay?"

"I-I'm fine." She muttered. "I'm in a rush to get home."

"Sakura is worried about you. Told me earlier that you missed class today, and haven't been responding to her. I was getting kinda worried too."

"I'm fine."

"Hinata, you don't look fine."

She shook his hand off her and kept walking.

"Hey, wait up!" He called, rushing to her side. "What's going on with you?"

"It's none of your business, okay?" She snapped, receiving a look of shock from the blonde. Hinata stopped and covered her mouth. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto." She peeped. "I... I have to go." She rushed away from him, but this time, he didn't chase after her. She didn't dare to look back at his muddled expression.

By the time Hinata got home, she felt tired and weak. She made her way up to her mother's bedroom. She hated the sound of the machines beeping. Hinata's father, Hiashi, had hired personal doctors to live at the mansion and take care of her mother some time ago. It was said she would recover. After Neji's death, however, her body stopped fighting so hard. Only days before Hiashi left, the doctor delivered the news that Hikari was going to die.

Hinata hated her father. _How could he leave us like this? _Hinata asked, clenching her fists as she walked up the stairs. She glowered at every photo of her father she saw. He was a terrible, selfish man. Neji's death had impacted him the most. Hinata's father had a twin brother, who died while Neji was a child. Neji was entrusted to Hiashi, and he raised him as if his own son. Hinata had grown to believe that Hiashi cared more for Neji than anyone else in the family.

When Hinata entered her mother's bedroom, the doctor, Shizune, was by her side.

"Oh, hello, Hinata." The woman said. Shizine was a kind young woman, who was shockingly experienced for her age. "I'm afraid you just missed her. She's sleeping now."

Hinata's eyes laid upon her mother. She was a lovely woman, and didn't deserve such a fate. Hinata thought about what she had done the night before and concluded that if it were possible, she would switch places with her mother in an instant. Hinata said nothing to Shizune, just simply left the room to find her own.

Her sixteen year old sister, Hanabi, had a bedroom across from hers. She opened the door with a fleeting hope that her sister had returned home. She was not surprised to see that she hadn't.

Hanabi refused to come home and there was nothing her parents could do about it because she was sixteen. Legally, she was allowed to leave, which Hinata didn't agree with. Hanabi had no job and she didn't attend school. How was she ever supposed to make it on her own? She hadn't thought about it before, but she wondered if Hanabi had been up to the same thing as she'd been up to the night before. Maybe Hanabi was drinking or doing drugs to numb the pain of Neji's passing and their mother's illness.

Hinata entered her room and sat down on her fluffy, royal purple bed. She took out her phone and sent a text message to her sister, asking if she would come home. She explained that their father was gone. Hanabi replied, simply saying that she knew. She didn't answer her after that.

Hinata rolled over and stared at her wall, clutching her phone to her chest. She thought about Sasuke, and how his entire apartment didn't hold nearly as many things as her bedroom did. She realized that she would rather be there than be where she was.

She decided to call him.

"Hey." He said. "What's going on?"

She didn't want him to know that she was crying, or that her chest was aching brutally from the onslaught of reality that hit her. "I want to do it again." She said.

He was quiet for a few moments. "Slow down, Hinata. I don't have any more."

"That's okay... If you can get it, I'll give you money for it." When he was silent, she spoke again. "Sasuke? Are you there?"

"Yeah. I'm here." He said. "Come back over." He hung up the phone, and Hinata got up immediately. She could escape from this again. She changed her clothing and had a quick shower, before she bolted out the door. One of the maids tried to stop her, to ask her where she was going, but Hinata was already gone. She called a cab and was at Sasuke's door within minutes.

* * *

**A/N: **Ooookie so yeah. I'm nervous about this story. I've posted about drug use before, but never this... Heavily. I hope you guys like it though. Please review and let me know what you think Dx

Also, I made a **tumblr** if you guys wanna follow me. My URL is **homely-x. **Thanks! I'll follow you back.


	3. Diamonds

**All Our Bruised Bodies**

* * *

_**chapter three; **diamonds_

* * *

The weather had grown much colder. The fallen leaves painted the streets of Konoha with their beautiful red, orange and yellow hues. Despite their radiance, the leaves, which ones flourished, were now mere decorations, devoid of life.

Hinata held her jacket to her body by crossing her arms over her chest. She wore a warm purple beret and a long, chocolate brown scarf. Sasuke wore new leather. It still felt uncomfortable to him; he was accustomed to the battered down denim jacket he had displayed for years. When Hinata caught sight of him in it, she insisted on buying him something new. She said that his body would be less immune to illness when it was cold; she was right. He was sick a lot in the winter.

The jacket felt foreign, but it was much warmer than his other one. Besides that, she smiled when he put it on in the morning. She said it looked good on him.

The hangover that day was less intense than the last. The day before, Hinata had wanted to drag Sasuke to school, but couldn't even manage herself. MDMA was harsh on the system. It had been one week since Hinata had first tried it. Now, she had done it a total of six times within that frame. Each time, her body grew more tolerant. She had to do more to reach the same results. She tried different methods of it; Sasuke showed her how to wrap the powder up in a ball of toilet paper and swallow it like a pill. Karin, Jugo and Suigetsu weren't always there; some nights, they would do it alone together. Hinata enjoyed those nights the most.

After the second night, Hinata made it to school the next day on little hours of sleep. Sasuke didn't join her, to her dismay. She wanted to hide with him on her lunch break. Feeling ill, she spent a night at her own house. She was able to speak to her mother. The next night, Hinata returned to Sasuke's. It was the weekend, so they did the drug until Sunday night, where they both agreed to take a break.

It didn't go as planned. _"Just once more, then we'll take a break." _Hinata had said. Monday, they did it again, and on Tuesday. It was Wednesday when they showed up to school together for the first time.

Since their first night, Sasuke refused to attend class. Hinata went alone, but that day, she was persistent on him coming with her. She made a good argument; education was important. Just because he started doing drugs again, didn't mean he had to throw away all that money he'd paid to enroll. Hinata said that Sasuke could still go through school a find a career. She was naïve, but Sasuke agreed to attempt it one more time.

They approached the school together. Sasuke's class was in building A, while Hinata's was in building B. Their meeting point would be the smokers tables. Hinata seemed apprehensive as she walked with him.

"You don't have to walk with me, Hinata." Sasuke spoke apathetically as they neared the school.

"I want to walk with you." She peeped. "I am just nervous."

"Hm?"

"About Sakura."

"You shouldn't be... I never associated with that girl. You have nothing to feel sorry for." Hinata stopped and faced him, hiding her pink face in her scarf. "What is it?" He queried.

"It isn't just that." She spoke reluctantly. "Sakura has been my friend for many years... She can't know about what _else_ I've been doing."

Sasuke pulled her into a hug. "So don't tell her." He said, before placing a kiss on her forehead. Hinata looked up at him and smiled. It was easy for him to say that, but Hinata had a hard time keeping things from people, especially her friends. It was easy for her to hide it when she didn't see them; but every day she attended school, her chances of running into Sakura increased.

Over the past week, Sakura eventually stopped texting Hinata. She was pissed off about it. She'd sent her a message a few nights before, which Hinata received while she was high. _"Fine, if you wanna ignore me, go ahead. I'm just trying to help you, Hinata. I know you're going through a lot, but I'm here for you... Just make sure you go to class and try to take care of yourself. When you're ready, I'll be here."_

Hinata knew what Sasuke had said was true. Sakura never _really _had a 'thing' with him... But Hinata had been there through all the nights Sakura had rambled about how much she liked him, and dreamed of dating him. Sasuke wouldn't be able to understand why Sakura would feel so betrayed to find out that Hinata was not only sleeping with him, but spending all her time with him, and foremost, doing drugs with him. Keeping all this from her best friend only added more to the pile of stress that made her want to run away at night.

Hinata hugged Sasuke tightly before she walked to her class. He stared after her with his hands in his pockets, preceding a sigh. He stared at the doors with dread. All that money he had wasted on an education he likely wouldn't succeed in. He scoffed to himself, but also remembered what Hinata said to him that morning. She said that she believed in him; he couldn't explain why that made him feel even the slightest shred of hope.

Sasuke slumped into class late and collapsed at a desk in the back of the room. It was the beginning of a lecture, so even though he tried to sneak in unnoticed, many eyes fell upon him. He hated that part the most.

When the lecture had finished, the professor approached Sasuke to see that the student was sleeping at his desk. He cleared his throat. Sasuke jolted up and caught eyes with the man. His professor, Kakashi, stared down at him apathetically.

"Sasuke, nice of you to join us." He said.

"Yeah." Sasuke grumbled abrasively. _Right, _he thought. _I'm supposed to be attempting this shit..._

"Sasuke, would you mind stepping out of the class with me for a moment? I'd like a word."

After a pause, the Uchiha reluctantly nodded. The heels of his chair scraped against the floor as he pushed away from the desk. He followed Kakashi out of the room so they could be shrouded by the silence of the hallway.

"Sasuke, I haven't seen you in about a week." Kakashi said. Sasuke leaned against the wall.

"I've been sick." He muttered.

"Well, you could have contacted me for the course work. Regardless, this isn't highschool, so I'm not going to scold you. That isn't why I wanted to talk to you." Sasuke was silent, so his teacher continued. "Sasuke, I know you've only been here for a short while, but you're one of the brightest students I've had. Your marks have been impeccable up until this point." Still, the young man was silent. "I see a lot of potential in you, but your motivation seems dry."

"I guess I should get caught up then..." Sasuke mumbled, putting his hands in his pockets.

"It's your obligation to attend class and keep on top of your work, so I'm not going to say anything after this. But I will prepare some work for you to complete that will make up for the lost time."

"All right." Sasuke said. Kakashi lead him back into the classroom. While his teacher collected the notes for him, Sasuke had time to think. He pondered all the teachers he'd encountered throughout the years that complimented him. They would tell him how smart he was, and how far he could go in life if he simply applied himself. He never cared for what they said. He would laugh about it with his friends later. He could see now that there was nothing funny about it. Coming from a college professor, it seemed to mean a lot more. He wondered what Hinata would say about it.

He began unwillingly drifting off as he thought. Over the past week, neither him nor Hinata slept or ate much. It was strange watching her act as resilient as she had been, considering the toll they were putting on their bodies. Sasuke was used to it, but Hinata wasn't. Then again, she was new to it, so the effects of the drug hadn't fully reaped her yet. She would have to find out the hard way why Sasuke couldn't drag himself out of bed most days.

He wondered how far she was willing to go; whether she would continue to do this drug with him, if she would want to try something new, or if she would stop doing them and leave him. He laid his head on the desk, unable to keep it up any longer. The drugs effects were gone, leaving him an empty shell. He was startled awake by his professor clearing his throat.

"Here." Kakashi said, placing a binder filled with papers on his desk. "Complete these assignments over the weekend, and you'll be caught up." He turned to leave. "And Sasuke, try to get some sleep outside of class too, all right?"

"Right..." Sasuke mumbled under his breath. He put the binder in his backpack and slept through the rest of the class.

* * *

Hinata met up with Sasuke at the smoker's tables on their lunch break. They both wore pale skin and dark circles under their eyes. People stared at them as they clumsily hugged each other.

"How do you feel?" Sasuke inquired, pulling away from their embrace, but keeping his hands locked on her arms.

"Bad." She said, laughing slightly. He smirked.

"Me too."

"Want something to eat?" She offered, and he nodded. Hinata grabbed his hand and they entered building B, where they found find the busy cafeteria. They waited in line at the pizza shop when Tenten walked by. She waved to Hinata, which she reluctantly returned. Tenten's cordial smile shifted when she saw her friend was holding the hand of Sasuke Uchiha.

She didn't stop to say hello. She uncomfortably looked away and kept walking. Hinata's face fell, and Sasuke let go of her.

"Your friends won't like me." He stated.

Hinata grabbed his hand again. "I don't care."

Hinata didn't know what to call Sasuke. She wasn't sure if he was a boyfriend or simply something else. They didn't go on dates to movies or diners like she'd done with her previous boyfriends. They hadn't met each other's families and he didn't need to ask her father permission to see her, but they walked down the hallway hand in hand and clutched each other through the night like lovers did, and that was close enough. That was all she needed; all she could ask for.

She hadn't been thinking clearly. Her conscious had taken a vacation. She willingly held Sasuke's hand and didn't care who saw them; she didn't think much of how Sakura would feel if she were to find out about them by seeing them together. Hinata knew the noble thing to do would be to tell Sakura about Sasuke herself, but she wouldn't do that.

Though they were surrounded by people, some familiar, many not, Hinata felt alone with him. When she saw pink hair in her peripheral vision, she didn't turn to look.

Sasuke and Hinata spent the rest of the their lunch together. She congratulated him on what Kakashi had said about him with an encouraging smile. He enjoyed her kindness. It was a refreshing change to the darkness he'd been surrounded by for a good majority of his life.

When the period was over, they hugged and parted ways. Hinata entered the stairwell. She wanted to take the long way to class, to avoid her pink haired friend and anyone else she may know, so she entered the far stairwell that not as many people used. It was empty, save a few students who quickly breezed by her, on their way to their own classes.

"Hinata." A familiar voice said sternly. She stopped, a pit forming in her stomach. She was halfway up the staircase, when she turned around to see Sakura standing at the bottom.

"I have to get to class." Hinata peeped, continuing to walk. Sakura bolted up the stairs and caught up with her. She grabbed her shoulder and stopped her on the second floor.

"You can go late to class." Sakura said boldly. "We're doing this now."

"Doing what?" Hinata stammered, averting her friend's eyes.

"Don't act stupid. Tenten told me she saw you with Sasuke. I had to see it for myself to believe it." Hinata was silent, so Sakura continued. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips and her eyes were narrowed. "You could have just told me. I would expect something like this from someone like Ino, but never from you, Hinata. I told you when Naruto tried to hook up with me. I get that the situation is different; Sasuke and I never dated. But you know exactly how long I've liked him for. You could have at least had the decency to tell me about you two."

Hinata's lip trembled. "I-I'm sorry, Sakura-"

"No, I don't wanna hear it. You've been completely avoiding me for the past week because you didn't want me to find out about him? Whatever happened to us being, you know, _best friends? _I've been worried sick about you; I thought you were depressed. When really, you've just been fucking the guy I've been after since the ninth grade."

"H-He was never your boyfriend..." Hinata peeped, clutching her books to her chest. Her face had turned red and her arms trembled.

"That's not even the point. I'm pissed because you actually had the audacity to hide it from me. If you'd just explained whatever is going on between you two, I would have understood. I feel totally betrayed. Besides, you don't even know what you're getting into. You don't know anything about him."

"What are you talking about?"

"Find out for yourself." Sakura scoffed.

"I... Have to go." Hinata muttered. "I'm sorry, Sakura." The girl teetered away, leaving Sakura alone in the stairwell. Hinata walked briskly to her class. The familiar off-white brick walls felt foreign and caging. She recognized that she should have been more upset. She had betrayed her friend, who had always been loyal to her. She had hurt Sakura, and now she wasn't sure where they would stand. She did feel bad; she felt horrible, on the verge of tears, but all Hinata's thoughts could focus on were Sasuke and taking that great escape with him later.

* * *

Sasuke's class ended half an hour before Hinata's did, so he found himself waiting around for her around the smoking area. She had texted him about Sakura's confrontation; he simply told her not to worry. Sasuke had spent so many years of his life not caring how other people felt, he forgot that not everyone was like that. Hinata had empathy. He had to try to understand that.

Not many people were outside. Sasuke paced around one of the tables, smoking a cigarette. He kicked a piece of garbage on the ground, when he noticed a figure approaching him. He rolled his eyes, thinking _oh, for fucks sake. _

It was Naruto Uzumaki.

"Sasuke." Naruto said, stopping in front of him. Sasuke took a drag of the cigarette.

"What?"

The blonde walked up to him and poked him in the chest. Sasuke took a step back, his flat expression not wavering. "One Hyuga wasn't enough, eh?" Naruto queried through gritted teeth. Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, allowing the cigarette to lazily hang from his lips. "Stay away from Hinata, Uchiha. You're going to ruin her damn life."

Sasuke almost laughed. He flicked the cigarette and turned to walk away. "Fuck off, Uzumaki."

Naruto grabbed his shoulder and twisted him around. "I'm serious, man."

"Is that a threat?" He swiped his hand off his shoulder. "Hinata can make her own decisions. She's an adult, and you have no say in who she associates with."

"It isn't a threat. More like a piece of advice."

Sasuke chuckled condescendingly. "Later." He said, turning to leave.

"If you care about her, you'll back off, Sasuke." Naruto called after him. Sasuke raised his hand and waved as he walked away. He texted Hinata and told her he would be waiting for her elsewhere. As he wandered with his hands sluggishly held in his pockets, he pondered what Naruto said.

_If you care about her. _

_Hmm, _he thought. If he cared, indeed. In all honesty, he wasn't sure how he felt about the girl. He liked her, which was a lot more than he'd ever felt towards any of the other girls he'd slept with. He enjoyed her presence and felt affection towards her, even if it was mostly while they were high. But caring? He wouldn't call it that. He didn't particularly 'care' for anyone.

Perhaps Naruto made a point, but the guilt never lasted long. When Hinata's class ended and they met up, Sasuke decided not to mention him. The Uchiha went to head in the direction of his apartment, but Hinata stopped him.

"Wait..." She muttered. "I need to go home, first."

"What for?"

"I would like a proper change of clothes, and perhaps, to see my mother."

"Hm." Sasuke nodded. "Fair enough." When Hinata awkwardly fiddled with her fingers and averted his gaze, he understood. "You want me to come with you."

She nodded. "I understand if you don't want to, I just don't want to walk alone."

Sasuke simply shrugged. "Sure. Let's go, then."

* * *

Hinata placed Sasuke in the kitchen when they arrived at her house. She told him he could help himself to any of the food, which he happily complied with.

Before Hinata went to her room, she stopped at her mother's. Slowly, she creaked open the door. The constant sound of beeping seemed more irritating than it usually did. She saw that her mother was alone, awake, and looking through a photo album.

"Hinata." The woman smiled warmly. Hinata flinched. Her eyes were sunk into her head and she had nary a hair left on her head. The chemotherapy had garnered almost all the life left in her. "I didn't know you were coming." She continued, reaching to her bedside table. She picked up her wig and put it on. "You haven't been home for a few days."

"I-I'm sorry." Hinata murmured.

"It's better that way, dear."

Hinata approached her bedside. Her mother extended her hands, which Hinata then held. They felt cold. "How are you feeling?" Hinata asked.

"Not well. Where is your sister?"

Tears filled Hinata's eyes. "She won't come home, mom. She refuses."

Hikari chuckled wholeheartedly through a cough. "Don't be angry with her. This isn't something a child should have to see. That goes for you, as well."

"Are you saying that she shouldn't come see you?"

"Not if she doesn't want to."

Hinata let go of her hands and wiped her tears. "That isn't fair to you. She should be here. She won't listen to me."

"Hinata, please. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

There was a knock on the door. Reluctantly, Shizune poked her head in. "Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"

"Not at all, Shizine." Hikari said with a smile. "Come in."

Hinata couldn't help but feel frustrated with her mother. When Hiashi left, her mother was not angry. Still, she greeted the world with a smile and felt no resentment towards her youngest daughter for not visiting her on her death-bed. Hinata's firsts balled at her sides.

"How?" She stammered. "How can you be so passive?"

Hikari and Shizune looked to the girl with shock. It was nothing like Hinata to raise her voice. "Hinata-" Her mother sputtered, but was cut off by the girl storming out of the room in tears. Hinata gathered some clothing and stuffed it in a backpack, before she ran downstairs to meet Sasuke, who had been cleaning up the mess he'd made from a sandwich.

"Leave it." Hinata commanded, grabbing his hand. Without a word, Sasuke allowed her to drag him away. He let her walk ahead of him. She had her arms crossed firmly over her chest and she vigorously travelled, sniffling consistently in an attempt to siege her tears. Sasuke had his hands slumped in his pockets. Occasionally, he would stare at the back of her head. They were almost to his apartment before she spoke.

"I'm sorry." She said, and he looked to her quizzically. "That was rude of me."

"Not really." He spoke apathetically. Hinata turned away. "What happened?"

"I just don't know how to handle this situation." She said. "Maybe we can talk about it later. Is there an ATM in there?" She pointed towards the convenient store, which was a block away from Sasuke's apartment. He nodded, and followed her as she entered. He stood idly while she withdrew cash from the bank machine.

A flashback conjured watching her do this. At the same ATM, in that old grubby convenience store, many times had Neji taken out hundreds of dollars and simply handed it to Sasuke so they could both get high. He was beginning to see the resemblance between the two cousins. Sasuke watched two bills slide out of the machine. Hinata pocketed them and exited with haste.

"I want to do something else." She said as they walked towards the apartment. "Something stronger."

Sasuke said nothing as he granted them entrance to the building. Once in the elevator, he turned to her. "Whatever you want, I can get it."

Hinata stuffed the money in his hand. "Anything." She uttered. "I don't want to think about this day."

Once in the apartment, Hinata put her things in Sasuke's room. He appeared behind her and pushed her on the bed, startling her. He kissed up her neck, and slowly brought his hand to it, pinning her with it.

"S-Sasuke-"

"I've been thinking about taking that sweater off you all day." He slurred, smirking when he received a shudder from her. He acted quickly. When it came to sex with her, there was no time to wait. Sasuke wasn't sure how long Hinata would stick around for. He found that women were often elusive and unpredictable.

He pulled her wool sweater over her head and ripped down her shirt, exposing her naked torso. Hinata watched his eyes. They always pooled with lust and wonder when they had sex, which was more emotion than she was ever able to see in his black orbs. She wasn't sure if Sasuke cared for her, but her certainly touched her like he did, and that was all that mattered to her.

* * *

Sasuke sat on the mattress in the living room while Hinata showered. He was looking at his phone, anticipating a text back from Karin. She didn't respond to him within the first few minutes of texting, so he phoned her, despite his hatred of phone calls. She answered after several rings.

"Karin." Sasuke said. "I need you go get me something."

"No can do. Sorry, Sasuke."

He was silent for a moment. "What?"

"I can't... None of us can. We're all in debt. You know they won't sell to us."

"Why didn't you wait for me to pick up, then?" He asked in irritation.

"You already had your stuff, and we weren't willing to see if you would share with us. I understand that your little _girlfriend _has been buying all your shit for you, but we're still all broke, Sasuke. We had to get a spot." Karin replied in a snarky tone.

"Tch. Whatever. Later." He hung up the phone, as Hinata exited the washroom. She was running a brush through her long, dark hair. He had been acerbic with Karin, but smirked upon seeing the beautiful girl in one of his towels.

"Everything okay?" She asked him, and he nodded, bringing his attention back to his phone.

"I'm going to have to get the stuff myself. Karin and them can't do it."

"Oh, well that's okay. I can come with you."

He looked after her as she entered the room. On his phone, he texted a number he hadn't saved in his contact list. A few minutes later, Hinata emerged from the bedroom, fully clothed in an argyle vest and fitted black jeans.

Sasuke led her farther east of downtown. Now, she was entering an area she had only ever driven through on trips her father would take the family out of town. The sun was beginning to set at earlier times, so though it was only five o'clock, it would be dark soon. The onslaught of winter would be harsh that year. It was colder that October than the last. The walk was quiet, and Hinata seemed nervous. Sasuke grabbed her hand and sent her a reassuring look.

"You wait around the corner while I talk to them." He said. "I'd rather you not be there, anyway."

She nodded. They came to an old building, one she recognized as the abandoned candy factory. It's walls were tall, grey and withering. The windows were broken in and graffiti painted the brick. Hinata held her arms tightly to her chest. The evening air was chilly, and puffs of steam blew from her lips as she shallowly breathed.

"I'll be right back." Sasuke stated, leaving her at the side of the building. He took a glimpse at her before he turned the corner; took once last look at beauty, before he saw the two young men who waited for him on the other side. Sasuke hastily walked towards them.

"Ey, Sasuke." A man with long, blonde hair that covered half of his face sat up from the hood of the car he was lazily sprawled upon. "New jacket?"

"How's your brother doing, these days?" The man with red hair spoke superciliously with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't know." Sasuke spoke. He walked up to them, and they formed a trifecta. Deidera, the blonde, took a wary look around, before he accepted the money Sasuke inconspicuously held out to him.

The red-head, Sasori, reached into the pocket of his long, black cloak. He stuffed a bag in Sasuke's pocket, but grabbed onto Sasuke's wrist while doing so. When he attempted to pull away, Sasori's grip tightened. "I want you to give your brother a message." Their eyes locked. Sasuke glowered, while Sasori wore a taunting smirk. "We're looking for him." He released his grip and Sasuke abruptly pulled away and quivered his shoulders, as though shaking the grime from himself.

"Later." He sneered, turning away. The two men's eyes stayed locked on his back until he disappeared.

* * *

Hinata noticed that Sasuke grow penitent on their way back to the apartment. He strode with more of a slouch. Each time she would catch a glimpse of his eyes, they appeared more hollow. He didn't speak. When they got back to the apartment, he immediately took out the drugs and explained to Hinata what they were.

"Heroin is an opiate." Hinata said. "I don't want to do heroin."

"This isn't heroin. I wouldn't give you that." He said matter-of-factly, before he handed her the bag. It contained several white pills. "Oxycontin."

Hinata fingered the pills, observing their flat, round bodies. "My father was prescribed these when he sustained a back injury a few years back... What are they like?"

Sasuke took the pills and placed one of them on a small plank of wood he had on his lap. "Euphoric. Alleviating." He crushed the pill with a card.

"Like MDMA?"

"More relaxing, with less of a toll on the body."

"Is it dangerous?"

He paused as he chopped the white powder up. "Yes." He said.

"Addictive?"

He snorted one of the lines through a cut straw, something Hinata had grown accustomed to seeing, and doing herself. "Yes."

When he handed her the plank, she almost hesitated. Sasuke let out a relieved sigh, leaning back against the wall with his eyes shut. Hinata snorted the substance and did the same. They sat in silence. Sasuke took her hand, breathing away his troubles as the euphoria kicked in. Hinata mimicked him.

It was different from MDMA. Her entire body felt heavy and relaxed. As she sat with her eyes closed, her mind drifted. She felt warm, as though she were laying in a grassy field with the sun beating down on her. The clouds were fluffy. The sounds were peaceful. She could almost hear a serene stream running through the crevices of her mind.

"How do you feel?" Sasuke asked, and she fluttered her eyes open, leaving one gorgeous place to find another.

"Amazing." She grinned, and he returned it, truly smiling for the first time that day. He reached his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his chest. They simply laid together with their eyes shut. Hinata thought that she never wanted the feeling to leave. Perhaps, it didn't need to.

* * *

Holding onto the high was the worst part. They would increase the amount they took as the night continued on. The warmth Hinata felt would turn cold very quickly. Her grassy field turned into a hollow graveyard and she would yearn to get back to the sunshine. They snorted more, still leaching to that high by the time it was three in the morning.

Drugs were not diamonds. There was no such thing as an immortal high. Neji used to tell Hinata that the best things in life were always the quickest to leave. She was beginning to understand what he meant by that.

The morning was groggy, and Hinata remembered little. Her head hurt, and even after sleeping for a few hours, she awoke to discover the drug still lingered in her mind. There was an indistinguishable trashing noise coming from the living room. She immediately dismissed it, until Sasuke rolled over with a grunt. The two had fallen asleep on the mattress in his bedroom with no blankets. Hinata looked as his face and studied it as his eyes fluttered open, landing on her.

"The fuck is that noise?" He grumbled, struggling to sit up. He clutched his head for a moment and reached for the glass of water on the ground. He greedily chugged what was left in the cup, before standing up and grabbing a random shirt off the cluttered floor. "Get dressed." He commanded. "Someone's here."

Hinata clicked in to reality and rushed to grab her clothing. She put on her sweat pants and designer blouse, then proceeded to follow Sasuke out of the bedroom. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and a pair of boxers, caring little of who may be standing behind the door. Nonchalantly, Sasuke unlocked the door while Hinata sat down on the mattress in the living room. It opened instantaneously, revealing a tall, lean figure. The man had long black hair, which was held by a neat hair tie; but his most prominent feature had to be his dark, brooding eyes. He looked like Sasuke, but he wore a tailored suit, his appearance was clean and he must have been in his late twenties. When his gaze went from Sasuke to Hinata, he looked unimpressed.

"Business as usual, little brother?" The man spoke condescendingly, making a disgusted face at the state of Sasuke's barren home.

"Itachi." Sasuke muttered, walking into the kitchen. He returned with a glass of water and handed it to Hinata. A tall man, also wearing a suit, entered the apartment behind Itachi and shut the door.

Itachi sighed. "Couldn't you have at least put some pants on?"

"Maybe if I knew you were coming, I would have." Sasuke sat down beside Hinata and stared apathetically at his brother, who now loomed over them. Hinata wanted to cower back further, but her back was already flat against the wall.

"I got your message." He said. "But I didn't know you had company over."

"I normally do."

Itachi's eyes scanned over Hinata for a moment, who was sheepishly looking at her fingers which she fiddled with. "Let's go, Kisame." He said through a sigh, before turning on his heel. Kisame nodded and opened the door for him. Itachi stopped and looked back at them over his shoulder. "Let me know when you're free, Sasuke. We need to talk." With that, he was gone. An off silence filled the room once the door was shut. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably.

"Uh, sorry." He muttered.

"It's okay..." Hinata peeped, observing his face. His eyebrows were furrowed and the sides of his mouth tugged downwards into a grimace. When she touched his hand, he flinched, his eyes darting to hers. He pulled it away.

"Let's go to school." He stated, standing up. Hinata looked at him inquisitively. "I just... Feel like it today, all right?"

"R-Right." Hinata stuttered, smiling slightly, though she wondered what brought on this sudden change of character.

* * *

"I didn't know you had a brother, Sasuke." Hinata said, walking slightly behind the Uchiha on their way to school. He looked back at her for a moment, before slowing down. He grabbed her hand.

"We don't get along very well," he admitted. "so I don't talk about him much." When Hinata's grip on his hand tightened, he looked down at her. Her opal eyes held more than just the weariness of the previous nights exertion, but a sadness that spoke of bitter-sweet remembrance. He inspected her for a moment, musing how such a girl wound up by his side. She always looked pretty and wore expensive clothing and jewelry. She had grown up privileged and until recently, enjoyed a life he likely would have resented her for. He thought for a moment how her beauty was that of a tragedy. Sasuke never liked rich girls yet this one was more to him than just a girl he was fucking.

The sound of people talking tugged Sasuke from his reverie. He noticed that they were nearing the school. They had been walking in autopilot mode. Hinata's eyes were still vigilant, glued to the sidewalk beneath them. He squeezed her hand and she peered up at him.

"Hinata," he began. She stared at him curiously through tired, half lidded orbs. He let go of her hand and looked away, sliding his hands into the pockets of the jacket she'd bought him. "I'd like you to stick around, that's all."

The girl was silent, until he looked at her, in which she grinned warmly. "Thank you."

He paused. "For what?" He asked uncertainly.

"For being there for me." Again, she turned away with somber eyes. "Things have been tough on me lately... It seems like you're the only good thing to come out of it all."

Sasuke had no words, though a pang of guilt did momentarily sweep through him. He draped his arm over her shoulder and kissed the side of her head, before bringing his hands to their original position, safe in his pockets from the cold.

_A good thing? _He mused, contemplating how no one had ever referred to him as such a thing. A second time, he felt apprehensive for but a moment, a reminder of Naruto Uzumaki's words persisting its way through his thoughts.

_"If you care about her, you'll back off."_

If he cared, indeed.

* * *

**A/N: **HEY

Sorry it's been so long! I know I said I would update quickly, but I totally didn't :( sorry guys.

Thank you all for the reviews! I really hope that I didn't disappoint anyone in this chapter. I'm always rewriting and worrying that the chapter will suck xD

I'm not sure how long this story will be, which is why things are progressing quickly.

Please **review** and let me know what you think. It would be greatly appreciated, as I've never written a story quite like this before. Any encouragement would be fantastic.

Also if I made any mistakes, please point them out!


	4. Purgatory

**All Our Bruised Bodies**

* * *

_**chapter four; **purgatory_

* * *

Hinata wanted to believe that college would be different from high school in more ways than just how the courses ran or the diversity of students. She wanted to believe that upon graduating high school, all those who entered college would suddenly seldom gossip, become less petty and judge one another just a _little bit _more infrequently. Upon beginning her relationship with Sasuke Uchiha, she discovered this wasn't the case.

Many of the people in her classes were people who had gone to the same high school as Sasuke, Sakura and the others. They had experienced the high school life Hinata had always dreamed of, despite Sakura's horror stories of how awful it was. At least they didn't feel separate from society, as though they were missing out on an integral part of their youth. Hinata went to a private school and naturally, she never knew all the controversy surrounding the name _Sasuke. _Sakura had always spoken so fondly of him. Hinata could see why. He wasn't a monster, but people in her classes stared at her as if she were sleeping with one.

Hinata hated attention. She had always been somewhat of a mouse; she cowered away from any spotlights and made a point to keep herself in purgatory. Aside from the obvious, no one particularly liked her, nor hated her. She thought of herself as a simple creature who would merely pass on through. Rumours were never started about her, but she watched it happen to countless victims just by eavesdropping on the side. Now, she became said victim, and despite it being one of her childhood fears, she wasn't all too worried about it._  
_

She was sitting in her Journalism class, staring blankly at the front of the room while her professor composed a lecture. Hinata rested her chin lazily on her palm and kept her face still, focused on a particular line in the wall that didn't quite match up with the others. Her mouth hung slightly ajar and she probably hadn't blinked in over a minute.

She had heard the girls, two rows behind her, mention her name along with Sasuke's. She heard them, but she didn't turn around. She simply stared. Without her knowledge, her pencil had been slowly inching its way towards falling on the floor. At the sound of the _ping _of light wood hitting laminate, the girl snapped away from her daydream. Quickly embarrassed, she scrambled to pick the pencil up off the floor. Two rows behind, from the same two girls, she heard sniggering.

What generally would have made her want to cry and run away, actually conjured a small pool of rage within her. Without thinking, Hinata glared back at them with sharp, half lidded orbs. They immediately looked away. When Hinata brought her attention back to the front of the room, she realized that for the first time in her life, she had just sent a look of death to utter strangers.

Feeling obscure in her own skin, the girl attempted to pay attention to the lecture, but was completely lost. She had no idea what Professor Kurenai was talking about. Hinata's heartbeat picked up as reality made itself more apparent through foggy, stained glass. Abruptly, she pushed herself away from her desk and left the room with slumped shoulders and a pink face hidden beneath ebony bangs.

Hinata went straight for the bathroom, thanking any omnipotent being who may have been listening for its emptiness. She hid herself in a stall and began rummaging through her backpack. She apprehensively took out a DVD case and a small bag containing a single white pill. Using a card from her wallet, she crushed it up into a thin line, took out a straw from a juice box and clumsily snorted it. She held her head back for a moment, breathing out an alleviated sigh.

It wasn't speed or oxy or anything that would mess her up, simply a tablet of Valium that Sasuke had gifted her in case she "freaked out" at school. They had been doing Oxycontin for four days straight, and today was the first day without it. Sasuke predicted that Hinata would have an anxiety attack, which is where the pill came in.

It worked well enough. She felt more relaxed, less irritated and embarrassed. Even with the help of the drug, Hinata wasn't willing to walk back into that classroom after the little scene she had just caused. Kurenai was very apt when it came to class etiquette. Surely, she would ask Hinata why she left the room in such a hurry and that was not a conversation that the young girl was looking forward to having. Rather than return to her classroom, Hinata went outside, wondering if Sasuke had ditched his class early as well. When she left the building, she was disappointed to see that he wasn't around. The smoking tables were their middle point, and apparently, they weren't the only ones who knew that.

Hinata didn't catch sight of Sasuke, but she did spot a restless blonde seated at one of the tables. She inwardly glowered. Naruto didn't smoke. Why would he be in that area? She had never seen him there before. Hinata was going to turn around in hopes of avoiding him, but he spotted her before she had the chance.

"Oi, Hinata!" His familiar, raspy voice chimed in her eat like shattering glass. She jolted, daring to look over her shoulder and find him approaching her. "Hey, wait up." He said, grinning warmly at his ex-girlfriend.

"N-Naruto. Hello." Hinata stammered, turning to face him with anguished orbs. "What's up?"

"Uh, why don't we take a walk?" He inquired sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I'd like to talk to you."

Reluctantly, the girl complied, following him around the side of the school.

"Hinata," Naruto began, after several minutes of heated silence. "I know you've been seeing Sasuke."

Her eyes flashed to his for a moment, before she glued them back to the sidewalk as they strolled. "Yes, I am."

Naruto stopped walking. Hinata halted as well, though she couldn't bring herself to meet his kind eyes. "I have to ask you. Are you doing drugs?"

She was taken back. Was it so obvious? Did she look high? After a moment, she shook her head, putting on a face of offence. "N-No, I would never..."

He studied her eyes, which were quick to avert his. "Are you sure? You can tell me-"

"Naruto." She cut him off, inheriting a stunned look from the blonde. "I'm fine... Please. It's not any of your business, anyway."

"I'm just worried. That's all."

"I appreciate your concern... But everything is fine."

He shifted uncomfortably, placing his hands in the pockets of his orange wind breaker. "I know who you date isn't any of my business, but you're still my friend, and I need to warn you about him. Sasuke isn't a good guy."

Hinata's façade of offence formed into something more candid. "I think he is." She stated. "I'm sorry, but this conversation is over." When she turned to leave, he lightly stopped her by touching her shoulder.

"Look, if you find yourself in trouble, just lemme know, all right?"

Hinata artlessly shook his hand off her and continued on her way.

* * *

Despite her veneer, Naruto's words had gotten at Hinata for two reasons. For one, she had always hated being the centre of attention. Secondly, this time around, she didn't truly care. The fact that people were gossiping about her and judging her didn't bother her and that alone felt foreign and weird because that just _wasn't her. _Naturally, this thought didn't stick around for long. The moment Hinata spotted Sasuke leaving building A, all her obscure feelings melted and were replaced with him. She smiled at him, to which he didn't retort. This inadvertently hurt her feelings.

"Hi." He spoke dryly.

"Hi..." She mumbled, walking up to him. She hugged him, and he simply placed his hand on the back of her head until she pulled away. "Are you all right?" She asked softly.

"Not really. I feel like shit. I'm going home... You coming?"

Hinata nodded curtly, wrapping her gloved hand around his naked one.

Sasuke was quiet. The Valium didn't work as well for him as it did for Hinata. When they arrived at the apartment, he explained that Karin would be coming by to drop off some more drugs for them. This relieved Hinata. After about an hour of sitting around at the apartment, Sasuke received a phone call. He left Hinata in the living room while he paced back and forth from his bedroom and down the hall.

"Karin?"

"Hey, Sasuke, bad news." She said.

"What is it?"

"They don't have any Oxy... You gotta get something else."

"What?" Sasuke's voice raised. "What do you mean they don't have it?"

"Look I'm on my way to them now, but they just told me that they're out, so what else do you want?"

Hinata flinched at the sound of Sasuke's fist colliding with a wall. "Fuck. I don't know." He breathed heavily.

"Dude, relax." Karin sneered. "Just get something else. You've never had a problem with that before."

Sasuke resisted the urge to yell at her further. He knew it wasn't Karin's fault but it aggravated him nevertheless. "One sec." He grumbled into the phone, emerging from the bedroom. "Hinata. They don't have Oxy. What else do you want?"

The girl shrugged diffidently. "I don't know."

Rolling his eyes, the man brought his attention back to his phone. "Just get M, then." Before Karin could respond, he hung up. Sasuke tossed it on the floor, receiving another jolt of surprise from the Hyuga girl. He sat down beside her and pulled her into an embrace. She was hesitant, being able to feel the anger radiating from him. "I don't normally do the same drug consecutively." He said, and Hinata looked up at him. "In order to prevent myself from getting addicted to one thing, I normally just get something different every time I buy... But you're new to drugs, so you don't do that."

Hinata simply nodded, unsure why Sasuke was telling her this. He was able to read her.

"That's why I got so mad..." He muttered. "Because I get addicted really easily."

"Will doing another drug get rid of that?"

"Not necessarily, but it generally helps me."

"What other ones do you do?"

"Cocaine, Ecstasy, pharmaceuticals, anything, really..."

"If you want, you could buy something else next time, then."

Sasuke looked down at her, seeing the seriousness in her eyes. "You sure about that?"

She nodded. "Yeah... I am curious to see what else there is."

He held her tighter for a moment and placed a kiss on the back of her head. "You're in charge." He smirked.

Hinata shifted away from him so she could see his face. "Um, Sasuke... Have you ever tried heroin?"

His eyes dug into her, not expecting such a question. "Once." He replied, looking away somewhat sadly. His brooding gaze snapped back to her curious ones. "You're never doing that drug, Hinata."

"N-No, of course not." She sputtered, blushing. "No, I would never go that far... However, I overheard my father talking about Neji's death once." Sasuke involuntarily recoiled at the familiar name. Hinata didn't notice. "I knew he overdosed on drugs but no one would tell me what," she continued, "I overheard my father talking one day... He said something about heroin. I think that's what killed him."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sasuke queried. Hinata turned away.

"I-I don't know. Sorry. Never mind."

A knock on the door relieved both of them from the tense conversation. "Come in." Sasuke shouted. Karin entered alone, shutting the door behind her.

"Hey." She grunted, tossing him a bag which he expertly caught. Hinata scrambled to find her purse, realizing that she hadn't already given Sasuke the money. She shyly stood up and handed it to Karin herself.

"T-Thanks." She stuttered. Karin placed her hand on her hips and stared past the girl to Sasuke, who remained seated.

"I've gotta run. Jugo and Suigetsu are waiting for me. Maybe we could actually hangout again soon?"

"Yeah." Sasuke muttered. "Not tonight."

"Whatever..." Karin grumbled, shooting daggers to Hinata, who simply blushed. "Bye." The red-head made sure to pout at Sasuke before leaving the apartment. When she was gone, he stood up and locked the door.

"She doesn't like me." Hinata murmured darkly. He walked up to her and brought his hands to her cheeks, forcing her to look at him.

"She's just jealous because you're my favourite."

* * *

The room was breathing. Hinata stared blankly at the wall, watching angular shapes morph in and out of the off-white. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see images vividly before her. She thought of flowers, and smiled in amazement as they seemingly came to life before her eyes.

Sasuke looked down and grinned when he saw her smiling with her eyes shut.

"Closed eye visuals?" He asked, and she opened her droopy eyes to see him.

"Yeah."

"Same." He laughed. He wrapped his arm around her, feeling electricity in his body as her slender frame pressed against his. "Sorry about Karin, earlier."

Hinata looked to him curiously. "She likes you, doesn't she?"

"I guess you could call it that. But, I never dated her. To be honest, I've never had a girlfriend before." Hinata turned around and looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

"Really?" She inquired. She looked away, pink tingeing her cheeks. "But... You're so handsome."

A breathtaking smile formed on his lips and reached his eyes. They crinkled at the sides, adding an uncanny brightness to his deep black orbs. "I never felt anything towards the girls I would see... They would get upset by my lack of emotion and leave me, or I would get upset with their abundance of it."

"That must have been lonely."

"No, it wasn't."

Hinata didn't know what to say. She wanted to ask him if she was to him as the other girls were. He observed the way her opal irises darted from him and to the wall, wistfully.

"Will you?" He proposed, touching her warm cheek. Her gaze fell on his.

"Will I what?" She pried, eyes wide with admiration.

"Be my girlfriend."

Hinata bit her bottom lip marginally. She nodded, unable to resist the smile plastered across her face. Sasuke pulled her into an electric kiss, breathing out reverently. He pulled away but kept his hands clutched at the side of her face. He kissed her hard on the forehead, before meeting her gaze.

"You're different, Hinata." He murmured.

"How so?"

"I can't explain it. You just are." He grabbed her again, holding her more fondly this time; more bestowing.

That night, Hinata felt like she was floating. In between each peak she would find the precise centre of nirvana and pandemonium; as though her conciousness were simply _there._ Before the high could die, giving life to the adverse thoughts of _reality,_ Sasuke would give her more drugs and she would find herself aerial once more.

A fragile digit traced along Sasuke's tattoo, expecting to feel partitions where the lines met, but it was entirely smooth. Sasuke studied her do this. She often touched his tattoo whilst high. He found it adorable.

"When I was younger," he began, bringing her attention from the artwork scribed on his body to his eyes. "someone broke into my house and murdered my parents. I was there, in the closet. I watched it happen... But the killer, I never saw his face. He was never caught. Itachi was at a friend's house at the time. I stayed in that closet until he came home and phoned the police."

Hinata turned away from his eyes dolefully. "I had no idea that happened to you. I'm so sorry, Sasuke."

With a sad smile, he took her hand and held it tightly in his. "That's why I got this tattoo. Because Death comes for all of us. Even if you know you're going to die, no one has a clue what happens next. You will never be able to recognize it; that's why it doesn't have a face."

Hinata contemplated this as she stoked his arm with her free hand. "It must have been hard..."

"It was." He hugged her. "Itachi was too young to care for me and we had no immediate family that was willing to. I was put into an orphanage while Itachi was sent to a group home. By the time he was old enough to legally take me into custody, he wasn't capable to do so. He was already part of the Akatsuki and refused to help me. I didn't see him for a long time. I resented him for that... But I'm mostly over it, now."

"So you were never adopted?"

Sasuke nearly laughed. "Hell no. I was a trouble maker and most people looking to adopt want babies or toddlers... I didn't get out of that hell hole until I was sixteen. At sixteen, the Government gives you an allowance to move out on your own. It'll run out when I'm twenty-one. I don't really know what I'm going to do when that time comes." He peered down into her intent orbs, before chuckling with an uncharacteristic shyness. "Sorry. I don't normally talk so much."

"Don't apologize." Hinata murmured, resting her head on his chest. "I like to hear your voice."

Sasuke sent her a sly grin, before he wrapped his arms around her torso and flipped her on her back. He hovered over her, feeling a fire in his chest at the way she shuddered from his simple touch. He brought his thumb to her lip and traced it.

"Since you're my girlfriend now," he slurred, "I'd like to fuck you for the first time."

He ran his hand up her stomach and stopped at one of her breasts. Hinata's entire back quivered as she let out a small gasp. There were many things Sasuke liked about her. He loved her kind smile, and the way she would touch him so gently when she needed his attention. She selflessly offered him support and she genuinely listened to him when he spoke; but of all the things about her, it was when he broke her down to her most natural form that he adored most of all. It was her pursed lips, and how she peered up at him with dilated pupils, brimmed with the secret erotic desires she masked.

Even without the drugs, Sasuke could see through Hinata's veil from the moment she stepped into his apartment for the first time. She looked at him with an eager pout half closed eyes. That look he saw in her that day hadn't gone away; it only deepened. And that made him want to take her over and over until she couldn't handle it. Smirking on her neck, he thought _that's exactly what I'll do. _

* * *

The irritating ring of Sasuke's cell phone disturbed him awake. It was late in the afternoon, and his brother was calling him. Apparently, Itachi had been trying to contact him all morning, but both Sasuke and Hinata had been too far gone in sleep to notice.

Sasuke grunted in an abrasive manner. "Itachi," he glowered into the phone. "what do you want?"

"I've been wanting to talk to you about your message, Sasuke. You've been avoiding me since I came over the other day."

He sighed in discontent. "All right, fine. What is it?"

"Are you alone?"

His eyes darted to the girl on his bed who still laid a sound, porcelain statue. "No."

"Then get rid of your guests. I'm coming over."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's just my girlfriend. You bring yours everywhere, so I'm not kicking her out."

"Girlfriend?" Itachi scoffed. "Fine, have it your way. I'll be over in half an hour. Put some pants on."

He couldn't help but smirk as he shut off the phone. "Who was that?" Hinata's soft voice chimed like a serene lullaby. Just looking at her sleepy orbs and the way the blanket wrapped around her body made him want to crawl right back with her and fall asleep, but Itachi would be over and would consequentially wake him away, so he picked up a pair of sweat pants off the floor and put them on.

"My brother." Sasuke said dully. "He's coming over. You should get dressed."

It felt like no time at all before Hinata found herself face to face with Sasuke's strange older brother and his bodyguard. The man looked kinder than his sibling yet was somehow much more daunting. His eyes held disapproval and a hint of antipathy. Hinata sat on the mattress, fidgeting with her fingers. She could tell that Itachi didn't want her to be there, but Sasuke's occasional looks of reassurance eased her.

"Why do you choose to live like this, Sasuke?" Itachi asked through an apathetic exhale, pacing around the room, making a point to scorn at the various clothing that had been carelessly thrown around.

"Did you come here to be a condescending prick, Itachi?" Sasuke sneered, crossing his arms over his chest. He stood while Hinata remained seated on the mattress.

"I came here to talk about your friends."

Sasuke almost laughed. "They aren't my friends."

"Regardless, I'd like you to relay a message for me."

"I'm not here to fight your battles for you." He snorted, taking a seat on the mattress. "Tell them yourself."

"I'd rather not come in contact with such scum."

"Neither would I."

"You don't seem to mind going to them to fuel your habits."

Sasuke's glower deepened. "If this is what you came here to talk about, then get the fuck out."

Ignoring him, Itachi continued. "Tell Deidara and Sasori that I know they've been following me. It's going to end badly for them if they don't back off. Which means it's going to end badly for you, as well."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm going to get the police involved and shut down their entire operation."

Hinata noticed Sasuke flinch. "You wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't I?" Itachi reasoned, keeping his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket. "I know everything about them. Their whereabouts and all."

"They why haven't you reported them already? You're full of shit, Itachi."

His eyes flickered. "Because at one time, they were my friends. I merely asked them to leave me alone and I would give them the same respect, but that hasn't happened. So I need you to tell them what I just said."

Sasuke was quiet for several moments. He glanced from his brother, to around the room, before he crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Fine. I'll let them know."

"Thank you. Do it in person."

"Yeah, yeah." Sasuke dismissed his brother with a wave of his hand. Itachi nodded to him and half smiled to Hinata, before his bodyguard opened the door and allowed him through. Kisame nodded to Sasuke before shutting it.

Sasuke groaned, falling back on the mattress. He held his arms over his eyes for a moment. He moved his forearm slightly to peek at his new girlfriend.

"Itachi was part of a gang." He said. "For many years. The same gang that I rely on for drugs. That's why I don't want them arrested."

"I see." Hinata shifted her weight.

"It isn't easy to find a dealer who isn't going to rob you or lace the drugs. I've known Itachi's _friends _since childhood... So they don't mess with me. That being said, I don't need to like them."

"Why are they following your brother?"

Sasuke merely shrugged. "A few years ago, Itachi left the gang to become an entrepreneur. No one thought he would be successful. I think the Akatsuki feel cheated because they're still dealing drugs, and he is now the CEO of a multi-million dollar business."

"So, they want money?"

"Presumably, which is never going to happen. Itachi won't even give me two cents of his earnings." Sasuke walked into the bedroom and emerged wearing a shirt and his jacket.

"You're going already?"

"I want to get this over with while I'm still kind of high." He muttered grimly. "Stay here. I won't be long."

* * *

Sasuke arranged to meet with Sasori and Deidara behind the old factory. The walk had breezed by quickly with the help of music. He wasn't expecting to see Yahiko and Konan with them as well. He clued into reality as he turned the corner, spotting the gang members lazily standing around their vehicle.

"Sasuke," Sasori called out with a mischievous smirk. A bad feeling suddenly overwhelmed the Uchiha, a thought crossing his mind saying he should have called Jugo and Suigetsu to come along with him. Quietly, but with confidence, Sasuke stood before the three men and one woman.

"Hey." He grumbled. He made a quick exchange of money for drugs with Sasori, before he squared his shoulders and faced them all. "I talked to my brother."

"Oh?" Deidara perked up, crossing his arms over his chest. "And what did he have to say?"

"Itachi knows you've been following him."

"We figured as much." Konan, who was a tall woman with pale blue hair and a labret piercing, stated calmly. Sasuke warily looked from her, back to the others.

"I told you," Yahiko began, "you should have been more inconspicuous, Deidara, Sasori."

"Look, I don't like this either," Sasuke said, "but he's going to call the cops on your guys if you don't back off-" He was cut off by being precipitously thrown into the wall by strong arms. Deidara pinned Sasuke with his forearm at the neck, gawking into his eyes.

"Yeah? Itachi has become that much of a rat, eh?"

"Get your fucking hands off me." Sasuke uttered, attempting to push Deidara away. The man released him for a moment so he should shove him back into the wall.

"How much do you think Itachi would be willing to pay as a ransom for the kid, Yahiko?" Sasori inquired tauntingly, smirking at Sasuke who was yet again pinned by the blonde.

"We are not _kidnapping _Sasuke, you fools." Konan stated, turning away from the scene.

"But we must do something." Yahiko concurred, crossing his arms in contemplation. "Sasori, Deidara. Deal with it. Let's go, Konan."

Absently, the woman followed behind her orange-haired colleague, taking one last glance at Sasuke being punched in the face before she got in Yahiko's car and drove off.

Sasori kicked Sasuke in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground. From there, Deidara got on top of him and punched his face several times until he began to bleed. With a devious snigger, Deidara got off him and kicked him again while he was down.

"Sasuke, we are going to mess you up if your brother doesn't pay us. Make that clear."

Sasuke spat blood on the ground. "You're fucking cowards."

Sasori swiftly kicked the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. The two men loomed over his body for a minute, before grinning to one another and leaving the scene.

* * *

Two hours had passed and still, Sasuke hadn't returned. Evening time was rolling around when the damaged man stumbled into the apartment. His lip had been busted open and he wore one massive black eye. Hinata admittedly thought she was hallucinating until he fully emerged from the shadows, entering the living room with a loss of face.

"Y-You're hurt." She stammered, rushing over to him. He said nothing as she lead him to the mattress, commanding for him to sit down. She rushed to the wash room and returned with the only first-aid supplies she could find.

Hinata didn't need to ask. He allowed her to silently clean his wounds, occasionally catching sight of her crestfallen eyes. They were a home for worry. She refrained from inquiring about what happened. Sasuke appreciated that. She touched him with the most tender care he could recall feeling since he was a small child, having his mother clean the regular wounds he would obtain while climbing trees. Sasuke halted her by grabbing her wrist. Instinctively, she flinched and peered into his forlorn gaze.

"Thanks..." He muttered, allowing her hand to fall. He signalled for her to come closer and she crawled onto his lap. "They said they would just keep beating me up until Itachi pays them."

"That... Isn't fair." The girl pouted.

"Sure isn't."

"Sasuke, forgive me if I'm wrong, but perhaps you should allow your brother to phone the police on those men."

"Even if he does now, what I just gave them today was a fair warning." Sasuke let out an elongated sigh before he put Hinata down beside him. She watched him inquisitorially take out his cell phone and input his brother's number. He stood up and began pacing back and forth. Hinata was surprised to hear her own phone beep. She picked it up and saw she had gotten a text message from a number she didn't have saved, but knew off by heart.

_"Hey Hinata, I'm sorry about earlier. I wasn't trying to upset you. Wanna get together for coffee or something?"_

Hinata mentally scoffed, annoyed that Naruto was suddenly showing interest in being her friend. They had an awkward relationship since they broke up in high school, but looking back on it, Hinata recognized that she was the only one who made it awkward. Naruto was just the same; cheerful, joyous and forever kind. It was still hard for her to believe that someone with such a good heart had it in them to attempt to cheat in a relationship; with her best friend, at that.

Hinata replied with a simple _sorry, I'm busy, _and unintentionally brought her attention to Sauske's budding conversation with his brother.

"I just got my ass kicked because of you." He sneered into the phone. "So get over here and let's resolve this fucking issue before it escalates." He angrily turned off the phone and tossed it on the mattress. When he noticed the solemn expression on his girlfriend's face, he nodded at her. "What's up?"

"O-Oh," Hinata snapped, realizing she had spaced out. "My... Ex just texted me, that's all."

"Uzumaki?"

"Yeah." She concurred, but frowned that Sasuke knew they had dated.

"I have a bit of a history with him, that's why I know about you two."

"I see." She looked away, somewhat in embarrassment. He sat down next to her.

"What did he say?"

"Well... He approached me earlier today." Hinata was partially in a dither about telling Sasuke, but honesty was her policy... Most of the time, that is. She noticed him shift his weight in a distressed manner.

"And?"

"He expressed concern about me taking drugs. I denied the accusation, of course. He texted me apologizing for it, and asking if I would meet up with him."

"What did you say?"

"I said no. I have no interest in speaking with him."

"Oh... Good." He relaxed his shoulders. "I bought more stuff... But I guess we should wait. Every time my brother enters a room, any high I have immediately leaves, anyway."

Hinata nodded vacantly. Sasuke didn't specify exactly what he bought, but she dismissed the idea of asking. It would be better a surprise. About half an hour later, Sasuke's brother turned up with his bodyguard, Kisame. Hinata wasn't sure how she felt about Itachi. He was intimidating, yet also seemed to be relatively kind and polite. She wasn't happy with the current situation he'd involved Sasuke in, especially seeing the state he was in. Hinata wondered why Itachi didn't just pay the men to go away. She was also curious if Sasuke would allow her to pay in Itachi's stead, if he refused.

When Itachi arrived, he uncharacteristically sat on the floor opposing the mattress. It was strange to see a man who gave off such a professional aura sitting like a teenager would.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." Was the first thing the man said. "I should have thought this through more. I didn't anticipate that they would attack you, as you are my little brother."

Sasuke crossed his arms tsked. "Just pay them. They have no emotional attachments to you anymore, which makes me just another customer."

"I'm not paying them. I'm going to have them arrested. That's the only way this is going to end... You're going to have to find someone else to buy drugs off, or better yet, quit."

"They know that you might call the cops now. They're going to be playing it safe for a while. The police can't search them without a warrant so who knows how long it would take for them _all _to be arrested, so they'll still have plenty of time to stalk me and beat me up. Those guys may be dirt bags but they aren't stupid, Itachi. You know that."

Irked, he crossed his arms over his chest and shut his eyes. For a moment, Hinata truly saw the resemblance between the two brothers. After an extended silence, Itachi stood up with an exasperated sigh.

"Fine." He stated. "I'll give them twenty thousand. Ten to leave me alone, and ten not to lay a hand on you." Itachi pulled out a chequebook and pen from his pocket. After Itachi had finished scribing, he went to hand Sasuke the cheque. He stopped before giving it to him. "If I find out that they're still following me, or if they so much as lay a finger on you, I'll hire as many private detectives as it takes to put them all in prison."

Sasuke nodded and took the paper from his brother. "Thanks..." He muttered.

"You're welcome. Be careful. When you go to give this to them, bring Jugo."

"I'll be fine, Itachi."

"Thanks for delivering it." He nodded once to Hinata before he made his exit.

"Well, that's one problem solved." Sasuke got up and locked the door. "I'll deliver this tomorrow." He then proceeded with the ritual and prepared everything they needed to get high. He had purchased Ecstasy pills. As Sasuke was busting up the drug, she looked at him.

"I know you said that you don't get along with your brother, but I think he really cares for you."

He sent her a weird look, before bringing his attention back to the box in front of him. "He does, but he wasn't around for me when I needed him the most."

"Well... I'm glad he's paying them. Why can't he deliver the money himself? I'm worried they'll attack you again."

Sasuke stopped what he was doing and looked at her for a moment. She blushed and averted his gaze, though it wasn't particularly menacing. "Don't worry about me." He said unaffectedly, before continuing to cut the drug. He took a line and handed it to her so she could do the same. She put the box on the floor and leaned into the wall.

"Itachi has a complicated past with the Akatsuki." He continued. "I can tell you about it, if you want to hear it."

She nodded and smiled, the drugs affects starting to kick in. "Yeah... I like your stories."

He grinned and took her hand, before muttering, "Strange girl..." He lit a cigarette and continued. "Basically, the Akatsuki are the top gang in Konoha. I think you got that already... Itachi was one of the founders. All those guys were like his brothers. They all sold and did drugs together. Things escalated quickly for them and they started getting into a lot of crime... Like stealing and mugging people. Itachi dated this girl, Konan, which really pissed off the leader, Yahiko, because he loved her or something... So that caused some problems.

I'm not sure exactly what happened that made Itachi want to change his life, but when him and Konan broke up, he went to rehab, cleaned up his act and as I told you, worked his way to where he is today." He laughed somewhat cynically. "The type of dick who drags a body-guard around with him and brings a chequebook everywhere."

Hinata giggled at the last part. "It sounds like he went through a lot. I can understand him not wanting to meet up with them."

"Yeah, and each of them are psychotic in their own ways, so they've been stalking Itachi for a long time. They think he owes them some of his success."

"That isn't fair... Especially to you." Hinata observed his black eye once again. She had never been in a physical fight or seen much violence in her life, so the bruise looked animated to her. Sasuke shut his eyes and let out a breath of relief, leaning his head back.

"That's what happens when you get yourself involved in a world of drugs and violence. This isn't the first time I've been beat up."

"Does it hurt much?"

"Yep."

She looked back on his words, a strangely familiar feeling conjuring inside her. _A world of drugs and violence. _Hinata wasn't from that world. No, she was from an entirely different planet- maybe even galaxy. Her ship had landed in Sasuke's world so abruptly that she barely noticed it happen. Her body felt so relaxed and her mind was flooded with so much peace that these thoughts didn't bother her, but they did occur.

She looked back on her life since the first night she spent with him. Aside from the slight increase in anxiety at school, and dealing with her pressing thoughts while sober, she had been floating in a cloud of utter bliss with him. Their time together was all about enjoyment; the drugs were intense, the sex was almost better. She thought to herself that she would be a happy woman if things could stay this way forever. Sasuke was all and everything she needed. There were no friends, no family; just the two of them sitting in that apartment, staring into the best parts of their minds with sweaty hands clasped together.

* * *

**A/N:** Lil bit of back story on Sasuke and Itachi in this chapter. I hope you liked it. Thank you all kindly for the wonderful reviews! I greatly appreciate them.

Please drop a **review **and let me know what you think about this chapter, the characters, general development of the story, etcetera :3 If I made any grammatical errors please point them out, and constructive criticism is always welcome. I'm not too confident in this chapter so any remarks you have would be totally rad!

**Please review! **


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